I hope some day I will write a dissertation about Levinas and intercultural contact. I don't have time now, but at least I can express my thoughts on this blog. Levinas says that a relation becomes ethical when I meet another person. The image I create of the other can never coincide with the real person. An individual is unique, he can't be reduced to the (supposed) characteristics of his group. So I should have an open mind for the real person and let go of my prejudices anytime.

10/09/2005

Earthquake in Pakistan and how some humans refuse to be human(e)

Here's another Orkut conversation between someone from Pakistan and someone from India:

Pakistan says:

Pray for Earth Quake victimsPakistan was jolted by severe earthquakes, I witnessed them, and they are frightful.Please pray.

I just feel bad for these guys, but then I feel good too, coz those who died there will go straight to heaven.

India says:How do you know? Why can't some of them go to hell?

Pakistan says:For once be humane........Can't you see the hope I showed in those lines.

And:The innocents who die in Ramadan go straight to heaven.Now bang your head against a wall.

India says:

Why can't some of them go to hell?

Esther says:

FOR ONCE BE HUMANThousands of people died, it could have happened to you if the earth quake was located a little bit different, could you stop talking about hell now?! There's enough hell on earth already.

How is this possible? How is it possible that this Indian boy dehumanized the Paki's so much that even now he doesn't share their pain for the loss of their beloved ones, how dare he speak about the possibility that the people who died will go to hell? What if he had lost his own father in an earth quake, would the the idea that he would go to hell ever come to his mind?! And this while India was struck as well...It's very strange that although something terrible has happened in the real world, that this person still continues with an abstract discussion about whom will go to hell and whom to heaven...

And now let's do what the first Orkuter made an appeal for, and let's also donate to provide as much help as possible...

Thanks for your comment and I also like your blog with so many pictures.

It is strange to see how different people reacted in a completely different way to my earthquake / humanism post.

My boyfriend (Hidde) said when he read this: the boy from India is just a rebelling teenager, you shouldn't take this too seriously. It's true that he is young and that he doesn't really mean it badly, but still I agree more with Saad than with Hidde.

This boy posts anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan posts at Orkut all the time, it's only mud slinging, no constructive respectful dialogue / debate.

He is young and this could be just a stage in his life in which he kicks against everything, e.g. also against his parents, which he will probably love, not hate, but still I take this seriously.

Saad will know that these posts are not some random temporary posts from an angry teenager, this is part of a larger, deep and dangerous conflict.

Even a teenager should realise this and he should be able to understand why he has to stop his hate posts against Pakistan when such a catastrophe has taken place.

Well the moment I read your blog I put it amongst my favourites list. I like your style of social commentary. And I was not just referring to the Indian boy, being a Pakistani myself I know the level of hate that is programmed in to the masses since birth on my side of the border as well. 50 years of raw hatred won't just go away with a quake. This might result in a thaw in relationship between the two nations but for long term effects people would need to acquire a different mindset.

iam just a person who happened to pass upon your blog. its wierd isnt it, how heartless people can be? People died here and all the person can think of is that they are Pakistani. sad, what we have come to really.

- Hidde recognized, in the simple way that the Indian boy repeated his questions, that he was just a rebelling teenager, not an old and fundamental hater of Pakistan.- Maryam, however, spoke about "heartless people".- Saad emphasized that the level of hate the other way around - from Pakistan to India - is just as high. (That's important to keep in mind, in my opinion.)

Today something happened that supported Hiddes conclusion, and not Maryams (with regard to this particular boy).

The boy had noticed that I had removed him from my friendship list and he asked why I did so. I said that I didn't want to be friends with somebody who continued to talk about people that would be going to hell, after such a catastrophe has happened.

I said:"If you can explain to me why you kept talking about the hell in this situation, and if you are willing to apologize for that, I will send you a new friendship request."

He replied:"Ok I apologise.I have empathy for those who lost their near and dear ones."

So now we are friends again :)

I don't believe that I "changed" him or his way of thinking, that he doesn't hate Paki's anymore from no on. Things don't go so fast and easy.

This happened before, that he insulted Paki's and that I protested and that he apologized. And then he just continues in the same offensive way, the next time.

But at least the fact that he is willing to apologize, again and again, is something positive for me. I think that he just always learned to hate Pakistani and that's why he automatically thinks like that. He isn't heartless, but he got the wrong education / mindset imposed on him since he was young.

Hate to play devil's advocate here, but: assuming, as Muslims do, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that good people go to heaven and bad people to hell, then it's very likely that some of the earthquake victims went to hell. Even so, it's a bit nasty to bring this up, I agree with that. Personally I think that lives just end, so in a way the loss is even greater then...

Yes there is a heaven and a hell according to Muslims and other believers and good people go to heaven and bad people to hell. Among the 40.000 people who died there will certainly be bad people. Maybe because of this terrible earthquake, which is already a hell on earth, Allah will send the bad people to heaven this time (or because it is Ramadan).

Anyway, this is none of our business as humans, it's up to Allah.

If my family or friends had died in an earthquake it would give me consolation to think that they are safe in heaven, that they are well and happy there. If I would have to miss them in this world and at the same time would have to worry that they might be send to hell, that would be too much.

The boy from India probably just didn't think about this. At the personal level he is really kind, but the hate towards Pakistan that he has been fed with for a long time, is deep. And this means that he often hurts the Pakistani at Orkut and that is something that I take seriously.